Hello all hockey starved SCH'ers!  Hawkynite! here to invite you to Silent Theatre Co.'s new, gripping, original crime drama, "NOIR: city of big shoulders" NOW PLAYING @The PROP THTR 3504 N Elston in Chicago, Fridays & Saturdays (8pm) & Sundays (7pm) till October 16th.

Admission is $15 suggested donation OR PAY WHAT YOU CAN (we would much rather have your butts in the seats than walking out on a great show because you couldn't afford a $15 ticket).  Here is a little rundown on what the show is about ...

How do you find hope in a city that doesn’t want to be saved?  It’s Chicago in 1930.  The city revels in its celebrity, refuses to play by the rules and scoffs at the rest of the country’s distaste.  When his ex partner shows up with a plan that would thrust him into the thick of the mob, private investigator Frank McClellan must decide whether to walk the line between trust and hope.  At stake is five thousand dollars, the life of an old friend and a final chance to help take down public enemy number one.

via silenttheatre.com

Here are some links to our Facebook Event Page and The Silent Theatre Co.'s Home Page for all pertinent info!

This show really is a labor of love and I am trying to get the word out as much as possible so people will come out and check it out!

We are also running in rep with a second show that Silent Theatre is doing.  It is a one hour comedy called "ACME: (live) Action Cartoon with Music Entertainment!"  It runs Fridays & Saturdays @10:30pm.  Here is a link to the Facebook Event Page for ACME.

Make a night of it!  Bring a date or a friend or your friend's date to a Friday or Saturday Night Silent Theatre Double Header!  See "NOIR" on either Friday or Saturday @8pm & stick around for "ACME" @10:30!

via silenttheatre.com

I realize this has little to nothing to do with Hockey or The Blackhawks but it would really mean a lot if any and all of you who are in or around the city could make it out to see our show.  So, in conclusion ...

SEE MY SHOW!!!

SEE MY SHOW!!!!

LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!!

  First off, a Happy June 9th to you all!  I hope despite the March-like weather (only after 24 hours of straight 90+ temps) we can all reflect on the awesomeness that is our 1 year Anniversary of winning it all!

   Secondly, I was fortunate enough this past Sunday to play 7 innings of hardball with some friends of mine in the city and, by pure coincidence, met Sam for the first time!  Ladies, the guy has a killer batter's stance at the plate.  Just sayin'.

   Thirdly, about all these trade dreams and roster changes, i give you the following, which is strictly my own opinion, after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

So, I see what we all assumed would happen has finally happened.  Oh whats that?  AND we got another talented young kid that has the for mentioned prospect’s former fan base fuming that WE now have him while we created even more needed cap space for the future? Sure, thats pretty cool, I guess ...

I'm still going to miss you, Steeger.  Hopefully you can help all the other players in Toronto remember how Stanley Cup Champions (wow, that is nice to type!) play hockey, that is if you manage not to stick handle your way into oblivion too often.  I will always remember your contributions that led to us winning The Stanley Cup (never, ever get sick of that), but I think I'll always remember your goal against Dallas during your rookie year where you made my jaw drop.  For those of you who might be a tad forgetfull, here ya go.

But I digress.  Ladies and Germs!  I introduce you to,

Phillipe Paradis, Carolina's 1st Round pick (27th overall) from the 2009 Entry Draft..

Heres what SBN’s Carolina blog, "Cannes County" had to say about this kid last year …

 Paradis does have the size GM Jim Rutherford said he craved in this draft, and he seems to fit the mold of what Carolina wants: willling to hit, a solid offensive-zone cycler, someone who will win the small battles. He also won the Hardest Shot competition at the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Skills Competition, registering a 95.7 mph shot....He is already built like a prototype power forward. On top of those physical attributes, the winger has some quick hands as well.  He  was able to move the goalies around with his puck handling on several occasions.

Theres also a nice writeup on him HERE from The Hockey Writers.

Also, watch the 2009 Draft interview with Paradis and pay close attention to who his answer is for "Who is your Favorite Player?" @ 1:20

... So long Versteeg. You are an amazing young player and I look forward to my team not having to play against yours all that much. At least I know you’ll never dump the puck while in the nuetral zone and wont have Ladd to pass to anymore if you happen to catch your own turnover (sorry, but that whole play is one of the funniest memories of the 2010 Playoffs for me, maybe even funnier than Boyle’s "own goal".)

Seriously though. Thanks for helping to bring The Stanley Cup to Chicago, Kris. Hope your play with Kessel isn’t as bass-ackwards as when you played with Kane as a linemate. All the best up North.

PS - Niklas Persson is a player the hawks signed who no one has really talked about but he's won back-to-back bronze medals with Sweden @the 08/09 & 09/10 World Championships.  Check out some of his very skillful work.

See. Its not all bad, right?

  I'll always raise my glass to them when Atlanta rolls into town (or rather when the Hawks swoop into Atlanta if i saw the calender right), but loosing Buff, Ben, & Sopes is ultimately a great move for the Hawks as it needed to be done and, quite frankly, finally puts those residing in the realms of the depth charts into a position to show the mettle of their pastures, if you will.  

  I don't know what the future holds, and we might end up seeing others leave (im not quite convinced we've seen the final strokes of the pen from Stan [and i hope beyond hope Huet is manning a weather tower in Alaska by time the deadline hits] ), but i understand the end result in this most recent trade, including the move of Fraser, and im satisfied with it.

  If anything its made me go crazy finding as much as i can about our already current prospects.  Three new names (new for me, that is) making me very anxious about training camp are...

Marcus Kruger, Mathis Olimb, & this Jeremy Morin kid everyone is all geeked out about.

  Needless to say, I need to see what these kids look like playing hockey and Youtube is happy to oblige in most cases  All that i've been able to find on these three is exciting, epsecially this Jeremy Morin (Holy SHIT does this kid have a shot) 

  If nothing of consequnce happens with these three in training camp, here is just a sampling of what Rockford can expect to see.

Marcus Kruger (32) playing for Djurgargen in 2009/10

Mathis Olimb (46) scoring a penalty shot for Norway in 2010 IIHF WC

Scorin' Jeremy Morin (61) netting two against The Windsor Spitfires back in November of '09

  Just imaging being these kids and asked,

"Hey, what are you doing in September?  Want to come to Chicago?  Try out for the chance to have Stanley Cup Champions Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa as teammates?"

Things are starting to get interesting, people.

LETS GO HAWKS!!!!!!

Firstly, hello to the Second City Hockey Community and to Blackhawk fans everywhere!  I am an avid fan of The Blackhawks as well as this blog including others that i have found through this site and i'll admit that i always make sure to check the game previews and post game analysis for i think it might be the best hockey coverage in the city (perhaps only rivaled by The Fifth Feather)

Anyway -

I, like many of you, have been riding an emotional roller-coaster throughout this season and i, in my own personal opinion, have never been more entertained, enthralled, and completely blown away by the level of talent and skill that is on this team since being spoiled by the Jordan era bulls when i was just a wee child.  but seriously; day in, day out.  win or lose i have always been impressed with our boys in red, white and black (well, i have been SLIGHTLY more impressed when our boys WIN, but it's not all that far off).

As of late our 'Hawks have been slumping, trudging towards the playoffs, gauging/conserving energy or suffering a snake bite (whatever's gravy for you), but DON'T FORGET - they are the same team produciong the most shots while allowing the fewest IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE.  the same team who, although their PP is still 'clown shoes', play SO tight and aggressive 4-on-5 OR 4-on-4 that they are (still, i believe) LEADING THE LEAGUE IN SHORT HANDED GOALS.  the same team who is amongst the LEAST PENALIZED in the league and yet have shown they can push back physically when called upon to do so PLUS they are guaranteed a playoff spot AND, as a point of pride, were the FIRST TEAM IN THE WEST TO DO SO.

Ladies and Germs, this is what we call an ELITE TEAM.  These wunderkinds and seasoned vets are some of the best hockey players IN THE WORLD.  Pure and simple.  They play an elite TEAM game, and when they win its as a TEAM.  also, when they lose, its as a TEAM.  now its easy to look at the shortcomings of an individual and place the blame solely on their shoulders if we lose a game here and there, but we can't fall privy to that type of buffoonery.  They loose as a team, and the team has to be able to fix the problems.  we've seen it before.  this team has banded together and compensated for certain captains, number 2 centers and or (at the moment) top 4 D-men not being in the lineup over the course of the season.  Has this team ALWAYS been able to compensate fully? not all the time, but i know and you know that this team is fully capable of doing so.  Winners find a way.  Champions find a way.

I have faith that come playoff time, they will be ready to play.  I also trust that they know that if they are not ready, other teams will smell blood and will not hold back.  Some recent losses have certainly convinced some on this blog that the sky is already half way down the mountain, so to speak, but i HAVE TO BELIEVE that this team can flip the switch and go into Ludicrous Speed smoother and quicker than Kaner weaving the puck through 3 or 4 sucker defensemen.  i was frustrated by these recent losses myself, as I'm sure many of you have been.  but godamnit!  if this team hasn't shown itself to be a clinic on elite, shutdown, pursuit-possession hockey on SO MANY occasions ... how can you NOT believe this team can go all the way??

I know someone on the 'Hawks is going to light a fire under this team's ass.  it might not be said in the locker room, it may not be the prettiest goal.  it could be a big hit, a timely save, but someone has has to be the one on this team who is going to open up the window, shake their fists at the Gods and scream out, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!".

I have included a humorous skit i shared with my father a couple days ago in response to a recent loss.  My dad texted me a very Kevin Bacon, "remain calm ... all is well", and I thought it only fitting that i respond combining both The Blackhawks and that timeless cinema classic of the film world, "Animal House".  Of all the inspirational, motivational, ramming-speed speeches out there in the world (especially before a BIG game against the St. Louis Douchenozzles), I truly think this scene (with minor artistic license noted in bold) fits the current situation of The Men of Four Feathers.  I give you an excerpt from, "Blackhawk House" -

   Troy Brouwer enters locker room before practice.  All his teammates are seated, hunched over in a state of exhaustion and/or despair

Bluto (BROUWER): Hey!  Whats all this lying around shit??

Stork (SOPEL): Well, what the hell we s'posed to do, you moron?

D-Day (SEABS): War's over, man.  Columbus dropped the big one.

Bluto (BROUWER): Over?  Did you say, "OVER"?? NOTHING is over until WE decide it is!  Was it over when the Germans scored 5 goals on us ion one period?  HELL NO!

Otter (TOEWS): Germans?

Boon (KANE): Forget it, he's rolling.

Bluto (BROUWER): And it ain't over now.  'Cause when the goin' gets tough ... the tough get goin'!  Who's with me?  Let's go!

    Brouwer charges out of locker room door with no one following him, all remain slumped in their lockers.  After a few seconds, Brouwer re-enters, George S. Patton like.

Bluto (BROUWER): What the fuck happened to the Blackhawks I used to know?  Where's the spirit?  Where's the guts, huh??  This could be the greatest season of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst!  "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you, 'Horse', we might have to play Detroit in the 1st round".  Well, just KISS MY ASS from now on!  Not me!  I'M NOT GONNA' TAKE THIS!  Ovechkin!  He's a DEAD MAN! Luongo! DEAD! NIEDERMEYER!!! -

Otter (TOEWS): Dead! ... 'Horse' is right.  Psychotic, but absolutely right.  We gotta' take these bastards!  Now we could do it with conventional PP strategies/line combinations, but that could take years and cost millions of lives.  No ... i think we have to go all out.  I think this situation absolutely requires a really aggressive, dominant, DLR-inducing paddling be done on St. Louis, Minnesota, & EVERY-FUCKING-BODY ELSE'S part.

Bluto (BROUWER): And we're just the guys to do it.

D-Day (SEABS): Let's do it.

Bluto (BROUWER): LET'S DO IT!!!